Ottawa, December 1, 2011 — The first applications for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will be accepted today, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced.
The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is one element of Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, announced in November. The Super Visa will allow applicants to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without having to renew their status.
To be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- Provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada, including proof that the child or grandchild meets the minimum necessary income (Low Income Cut-Off);
- Undergo the Immigration Medical Examination;
- Submit proof that they have purchased comprehensive Canadian medical insurance, valid for at least one year; and
- Satisfy the visa officer that they meet all other standard admissibility criteria.
Current processing times through the Family Class indicate that many parents and grandparents could wait for eight years or more to be accepted to Canada. With the Super Visa, they could be enjoying the company of their family in about eight weeks.
For more details on applying for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, please see the attached backgrounder.
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For further information (media only), please contact:
Candice Malcolm
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CIC Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
